Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the world is in the midst of perhaps the most emotionally nerve-racking time in recent memory. If you live in New Zealand and either vape or own a business in the vaping industry, though, there is another current event that requires a moment of your time. New Zealand’s Parliament has just had its first reading of a new bill that will regulate the vaping industry. The bill has gone to the Health Select Committee for review, and the Select Committee is now requesting public comments on the bill. If you vape, New Zealand vaping businesses like Premium Vape NZ need your help.

Read and comment on the bill here. You have until April 1 to submit your comment. That’s a much shorter public comment period than most new New Zealand laws receive, so you need to begin formulating your feedback immediately if you disagree with any aspect of the bill.

So, what’s going on with New Zealand’s vaping regulations? Let’s begin by explaining why the public comment period for this bill is so short.

Why Is There So Little Time to Comment on NZ’s Vaping Regulations?
The Labour government – which holds the majority of seats in New Zealand’s Parliament – says that vaping regulations are urgently needed. When introducing the bill, Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa requested that the Health Select Committee reduce its standard review period of six months to just two and a half months to get the regulations enacted as quickly as possible.

The New Zealand National Party opposed the shortened review period. Party members said that the Labour government has been in power for more than two years and has therefore had plenty of time to introduce vaping regulations. Members of the New Zealand National Party have accused Labour of dragging its feet on these regulations, only to try to push them through at the last minute because an election is coming up. They say that Labour failed to institute vaping regulations in a timely manner and are now trying to correct that problem by depriving New Zealand’s citizens of due process.

Parliament held a vote on the shortened review period, and Parliament members voted strictly across party lines. The motion to shorten the review period was passed.
All members of New Zealand’s Parliament agree that vaping regulations are needed. Parliament will most likely pass this bill, although some modifications may be made along the way. The disagreement among Parliament members wasn’t over the content of the bill – it was over the fact that New Zealand’s citizens and businesses have only two weeks to comment on it.

What Are the Key Details of the New Zealand Vaping Regulations?
For consumers, a key aspect of the bill is that the proposed vaping regulations will divide New Zealand’s sellers of vaping products into two groups: standard retailers and dedicated vape shops.

• Standard retailers will only be able sell e-liquids and e-cigarette refills in tobacco, mint and menthol flavors. These retailers will not be able to offer coupons or loyalty programs for vaping products and will not be able to provide advice about which products to buy or how to use them. Vaping will not be allowed in standard retail establishments or any other place in which smoking is not allowed.

• Dedicated vape shops will be able to sell e-liquids and e-cigarette refills in all flavors and should not allow minors under 18 to enter. These retailers will be allowed to offer coupons and loyalty programs but will not be allowed to advertise their products. Vape shops will be allowed to provide advice to customers. Vaping will also be allowed inside vape shops.

There are also two other key points of the bill in addition to those mentioned above.
• New Zealand will allow online sales of vaping products, but couriers will be required to check ID at the time of delivery.

• Parliament intends to set a maximum allowable nicotine strength for e-liquids and e-cigarette refills sold in New Zealand. The maximum strength has not yet been decided.

What You Should Do About New Zealand’s Vaping Regulations
Before you make a decision about whether you’re happy with the proposed vaping regulations, we suggest that you read the full text of the bill via the link above. In this article, we’ve only discussed a few of the high points. If you’re happy with the bill, there’s no need to do anything. As mentioned above, there is widespread support for the bill in Parliament. Lawmakers may disagree on certain details, but they will definitely pass the bill once those details are worked out.

If you disagree with any aspect of the bill, you must submit your comment by April 1 by clicking the link at the top of the article. The Labour government did not consult the public in the creation of the bill, so this is your only opportunity to have your say.

NZ Vaping Bill: Key Points of Opposition
In creating the proposed vaping regulations, Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa said that it was the government’s priority to ensure that New Zealand’s smokers have access to vaping as a quit tool. With that in mind, some people disagree with the fact that the bill will prevent retailers like convenience stores, gas stations and supermarkets from selling most flavors of vaping products. Opponents of this aspect of the bill say that, for New Zealand to truly eliminate smoking and replace it with vaping, the best vaping products need to be available where people currently buy their cigarettes.

The second reason why some oppose the bill is not because of the bill’s content but because they feel the Labour government lacks appropriate justification for shortening the bill’s review period. By the time many New Zealand vapers find out about the bill, it’ll already be too late to comment. If you feel that the shortened review period harms your rights and will result in the bill being passed without appropriate feedback from the public, you should say so.